Fields of Blood: A Discussion with Karen Armstrong

It seems to be an almost common belief these days that religion breeds violence but Karen Armstrong, in her new book, Fields of Blood, argues against the idea that faith fuels wars and her book, soon to be published in Indonesian, can be seen as an effective rebuttal to that point of view. “As an inspiration for terrorism,” the author states, “nationalism has been far more productive than religion.” What lessons can be gleaned from Ms. Armstrong’s research for Indonesia and other nations where religious intolerance is on the rise? Ms. Armstrong’s Indonesian publishers join her for an intimate discussion about the book and the belief that religion is not (or should not be) a source of conflict but, instead, a font of compassion.